Scott Cowan

School of Music
Western Michigan University
1903 W Michigan Ave
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5434 US

Education:

D.M.A., University of Miami (Florida)

M.M., New England Conservatory

B.M., New England Conservatory

Bio:

Dr. Scott Cowan has performed with internationally recognized jazz artists Donny McCaslin, Ingrid Jensen, Billy Hart, Fred Hersch, Richie Cole, Bob Mintzer, Slide Hampton, Alan Dawson, Jim McNeely, George Garzone, James Carter, Kenny Wheeler, Billy Ekstine, Bob McChesney, Jon Faddis, Kenny Burrell, Lou Donaldson, and others. He is the recipient of the Boston Jazz Society Outstanding Jazz Soloist Award. His recent CD “Jack’s Place,” which features eleven original compositions for quartet, quintet, sextet and octet is found on blujazz records and has been featured on over 50 U.S. radio stations. His first CD “Premiere” also features original compositions and arrangements and is found on Sea Breeze records.

Cowan is an Artist/Educator clinician for the Conn-Selmer instrument company and a published composer/arranger with UNC Jazz Press. His award winning jazz compositions and arrangements have been premiered at Lincoln Center in New York City, International Association of Jazz Educators conferences, the Boston Globe Jazz Festival, and the Detroit International Jazz Festival. Cowan has been a clinician at the International Association of Jazz Educators, The Michigan Music Conference, and state and district jazz festivals in Illinois, Michigan and Massachusetts, as well as many universities and colleges nationwide. His articles have been featured in the International Trumpet Guild Journal, JAZZed Magazine, and Conn-Selmer's electronic periodical Keynotes.

Cowan is a Fulbright Scholar and received the Distinguished Chair Award in American Studies (research/teaching) at the University of Ulster in Derry/Londonderry, Ireland in 2013. In 2012 he received the College of Fine Arts Distinguished Teaching Award at Western Michigan University. He holds a B.A. and M.M. from the New England Conservatory and a D.M.A. from the University of Miami. Cowan is currently an Associate Professor of Jazz Studies at Western Michigan University where he directs the WMU Jazz Orchestra, coaches chamber ensembles, and teaches jazz theory, jazz arranging, jazz improvisation, applied jazz brass, and jazz appreciation. He has held faculty positions at the New England Conservatory of Music, Berklee College of Music, and Eastern Nazarene College. For more information on his recordings and music visit cowanjazz.com.